News Flash

Penn Waste will operate on a regular schedule next week including on Monday, President's Day.

This public meeting will be held on Monday, 2/2 at 2:30pm in Municipal Center room 174.

The Public Safety Committee meeting agenda is available at bit.ly/Safety2-2.

The Lower Paxton Arts council is seeking participants for this new opportunity.

Calling all builders, makers, and nature lovers! The Lower Paxton Arts council is seeking builders to participate in the Eco Art Gnome Home Trail on 4/18 from 12-4pm at Lingle Park. Applications will be accepted until 2/27 at 8pm,. Visit: bit.ly/EcoGnomeTrail

Free program for LPT residents and surrounding communities

Township is seeking an entry level Maintenance Mechanic 1 for full-time position.

A book discussion on "Hello Beautiful" by Ann Napolitano at 3:00pm

Join us at the East Shore Library to meet featured artists, Ashton & Damian.

The SATC contributed significantly to Oak Park Trail

After four years of hard work by volunteers who carved paths out of steep slopes and moved boulders to create natural stream crossings, the 1-mile-long Oak Park Nature Trail officially opened October 2024 in Lower Paxton. The Township purchased the roughly 7-acre wooded tract by Oak Park and Maple roads adjacent to Shoop’s Cemetery in 2017 for $20,000, and volunteers started work the following year on the .4 of a mile southern section. The northern section was finished in fall 2023, which included placing a bridge over a section of stream and boardwalk over marshy areas,

Recently, the Township named the north part of the trail “Newsome Way” and the south part “Seidler Way” after William Roy Newsome Jr. and Jim Seidler, who were the driving force behind this trail project. Jim is a current member while William was a former member of Lower Paxton’s Greenway Committee that works to enhance natural recreational spaces.

Crucial to the trail’s completion was a $2,000 donation from the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS®(GHAR) and the hard work of more than a half dozen members of the SATC’s “Rock Crew” that muscled 500 lb. boulders into several areas for natural stream crossings and built stone steps using handcarts and 20-pound hardened steel prybars. “We’ve built trail steps, retaining walls, water diversions on trails throughout the area,’’ said Tim Bachmann, who heads the Rock Crew, primarily comprised of retirees in their 60s and 70s.

“Oak Park is a nice trail for folks who want to walk their dog or for the kids who live nearby.” explained Jim, who did much of the trail work on his own – including building a wooden bridge and boardwalk sections – he added, “It was challenging carving the trail into the hillsides bordering the stream below. The trail had to be high on the slopes because the center of the small valley is a drainage area that floods during storms.”

Lower Paxton owes a multitude of thanks to the amazing SATC Rock Crew for devoting their time and energy to establish such an exceptional trail.

Thank you for your 36 years of service to Lower Paxton!

Join us in recognizing Jim Wetzel, Sewer Department Operations Supervisor, on his retirement this month after 36 years of steadfast service to Lower Paxton. When he joined the department as a  maintenance worker in 1989, there were only four employees. Jim then progressed to inspecting sanitary sewer systems and became the first crew leader for the Infiltration & Inflow (I&I) Replacement crew, which was established as a cost saving strategy for replacing private property sewers. The I&I crew expanded into an essential skilled team that also replaces storm sewers, retention basins, and any other projects requiring excavation. At present, 17 crew members maintain four pump stations and 260 miles of sewer lines.

In addition to overseeing maintenance for all Sewer Authority assets including the fleet management of vehicles and equipment, Jim has expertly managed several critical projects. He supervised the new construction for the $1.1M sewer pole building located at our Locust Lane site which is used to store large scale sewer equipment. Further, he assisted in the design and construction of the $140M PA Department of Environmental Protection Consent Decree sewer rehabilitation project. The primary benefits of this project were the elimination of frequent sanitary sewer backups into private residences and overflow of sanitary sewer manholes throughout the Township due to excessive infiltration from heavy rain overloading defective, old pipes.

As he embarks on retirement, Jim plans to travel with his wife on his motorcycle to explore new places. His favorite pastimes include spending time at the beach and attending activities in support of his five grandkids. He plans to learn how to fly fish and to eventually relocate to sunny South Carolina. In the meantime, you’ll likely see Jim volunteering at the local animal shelter and food pantry.

Jim proudly shared, “The staff at Lower Paxton are top notch and care about what they do!” Working for the Township has been a fulfilling job for Jim, and he advises anyone interested in municipal work to seek out current staff to ask questions, listen, and learn. He stated it’s satisfying knowing your day-to-day efforts help build a better community for all.

Presents: History of the Black Masonic Temple Property on Linglestown Rd

One mile east of Linglestown on the north side of Linglestown Road sits a 68-acre property that has a rich history. The property is owned by The Prince Hall Grand Lodge Masonic Temple in Philadelphia who purchased the old farm property in 1908 to be used as a home for elderly Masonic members.After serving this role for many years the use of the property changed to a Black orphanage until the 1940’s at which time the buildings were demolished. The property has sat vacant since then and is now one of the last remaining large undeveloped properties along Linglestown Road. This presentation will delve into the 250 year history of the property and document the physical traces that remain giving us an understanding of what once happened on this piece of property.

January 8, 20265:45PM Reorganization6:30PM PresentationMunicipal Center rm 171

To view past presentations visit: bit.ly/HCpresentations